Die for forming saddle-clips



l (N Modem 3-Sheets-Sheet 2.

y W. PEARCE. Die for Forming Saddle Clips.

No. 240,174. Patented April 12,188I.

UNITED STATES "PATENT CrFIcE.

WILL'lAM PEARCE, OF PLANTSVILLE, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF, M. N. WOOD- RUFF, AND N. A. BARNES, OF SOUTHINGTON, CONNECTICUT.

DIE FOR FORMING SADDLE-CLIPS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 240,174,.dated April 12,1881.

Application filed July 19,1880. (N model.)

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, WILLIAM PEARCE, of 'Plantsville, in the county of Hartford, and in the State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Methods of and Dies for Forming Saddle-Clips; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had tothe accompanying drawings, makro ing a part of this specification, in which- Figure l is a perspective view of my dies separated from each other. Fig. 2 is a vertical cross-section of the same when occupying the relative positions shown in Fig. 1. 'Fig. 3

1 5 is a like view of said dies when closed together. Figs. 4 and 5 are, respectively, perspective views of the clip formed by said dies before and after passing through the trimming-dies.

Fig. 6 is avertical cross-section of my dies separated, and provided with one form ofmeans for closing the side dies in advance of the plunger; and Fig. 7 is a like view of the same when closed together. f

Letters of like name and kind refer to like parts in each of the figures.

The design of my invention is to enable a saddle-clip to be perfectly formed at one operation; and to this end it consists, principally, in the means employed for forming'the head of the clip and causing the fin to project horizontally, so as to be removable by trimmingdies, substantially as and for the purpose hereinafter specified.

It consists, further, as an improvement in dies for forming carriage-clips, in combining with a base-die two hinged or pivoted side dies and a plunger, springs projecting above the surface of said side dies, or equivalent means, whereby said side dies are closed by 40 the downward movement and reach their bearings in advance of said plunger, substantially as and for the purpose hereinafter shown.

In the construction of saddle-clips by my method I employ a base-die, A, in which is 4 5 formed a half-roundrecessfa, that corresponds in size and shape to the like features of the head of the clip.

Hinged or pivoted upon the die A, at each end of the recess a, is a block, B, which is capable of movement, so as to cause its inner face to have a right angle with the upper face ofsaid die A, as shown in Fig. 3, or to cause said inner face to have an upward and an outward inclination, as seen in Figs. 1 and 2. Within the said'inner face of said pivoted block or die B, or within a block of metal secured within the same, is formed a "ertical half-round groove, 1), which corresponds in size and shape to the like features of one of the arms of a saddle-clip, has its upper end rounded outward, and at itslower end coincides with one end of said recess a, when said dieis turned inward to the position shown in Fig. 3. r

The dies described are secured within the bed of a drop, and are used in connection with an upper die, C, which, as shown in Fig. 3, corresponds in size and shape to the space between the faces of said dies when the side dies, B and B, are turned to the inner limit of their movement, said die C being attached to or within the face of a block, D, which is, in turn, secured to or within the drop. The dies B andB being held at the outer limit of their motion by means of springs, a bar, E, of half-- round iron, having suitable size and length, is heated and placed in the position shown in Figs. land 2, its rounded side being downward and resting in the flaring upper ends of the grooves b. The upper die or plunger, C, is now caused to descend, and, impinging upon the center ofthe bar E, it bends the same downward and carries it into the recess a; but before said bar has reached said recess the block D impinges upon the upper inner corners of the side dies, B, and causes said dies to turn .inward to the position shown in Fig. 3, by

which means said bar is forced into and caused to conform to the'shape of the said recess a and the grooves b, forming a clip, which, when released, presents the appearance shown in Fig. 4, the surplus metal having been forced outward between the upper face of the lower die, A, and the bottom faces of said side dies,

B, in the form of a fin, e, which projects horizontally from the outer curved face of each 5 clip-arm.

To complete the forging of the clip IE, it is only necessary that the fin eshould beremoved, which operation is easily and perfectly performed by passing said clip through trim- I00 ming-dies which correspond in size and shape to the horizontal outline of the recess a of the die A. The horizontal projection of the fins e from the sides of the clip-arms renders practicable their removal by means of trimmingdies, whereas if said fins were differently located it would be necessary to remove them by grinding or filing, in which event a large increase in time and expense would result.

Under ordinary circumstances the inward and downward movement of the side dies, B, and the downward movement of the plunger 0 will cause the rod E to be upset sufficiently to produce perfect and full corners at the angles of the clip; but should there be alack of metal at such points the difficulty may be obviated by causing said side dies to close slightly in advance, so as to cause said plunger to carry down more metal, which movement may be produced in various ways, among which is the use of springs placed within recesses in the upper face of each side die, and having sufficient projection therefrom to cause them to be engaged by the block D in advance of contact between the latter and the corners of said side dies. Another means for effecting such movement of the side dies, B, is by means of two lugs, d, which are secured upon each side of the block D, and, projecting below its lower face, engage with the upper faces of said side dies, and operate to turn the latter inward to the position shown in Fig. 7, after which said lugs pass into vertical recesses 1) formed in the upper faces of said side dies and offer no obstacle to the farther downward movement of a said block D and the plunger 0.

Bythe use of my dies but one fall of the drop is required in order to form a saddle-clip,

- which,in consequence of the peculiar operation of said dies, is solid at its angles,instead of having cold sheets at such points, as'is usually the case with die-made saddle-clips.

In order that thelongitudinal position of the bar E may be easily and quickly determined, a lug, a, extends upward from one side of the base-die A, and is provided with a setscrew,

a which passes horizontally inward and furnishes a hearing or gage, against which one end of said bar may be placed. By means of the longitudinal adjustment of said screw bars havingdiflerentlengths may be accommodated.

I am aware that a device for bending and swaging carriage-clips consisting of a baseblock, two side die-blocks hinged to said ba eblock, and a plunger operating with said base and die blocks is not new, and therefore disclaim such device broadly.

H. ving thus fully set forth the nature and merits of my invention, what I claim as new 1. The hereinbefore-described dies for forming carriage-clips, in which the improvement consists, mainly, in a groove corresponding to the size and shape of the head of a clip formed in the face of the lower die or base block, and registering with similar grooves in the pivoted side dies, which have a right-angle abuttal upon the face of said lower or base die, whereby the external angles of the head of the clip are filled out and defined, and the surplus metal, if any is present, is forced out, in the forms of fins, from the inner angles over the plane face of said lower die, in a convenient position for being trimmed ofi, snbstantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. As an improvement in dies for forming carriage-clips, the combination, with a basedie, A, two hinged or pivoted side dies, B,and a plunger, 0, of springs F, projecting from said side dies, or equivalent means, whereby said side dies are closed by the downward movement and reach their hearings in advance of said plunger, substantially as and for the purpose shown.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this 24th day of June, 1880.

WILLIAM PEARCE.

Witnesses:

GEO. S. PRINDLE, NORMAN A. BARNES. 

